CH. XXVII. DESTRUCTION OF OLD STAGS. 121 



numbers in certain preserved districts have, no 

 doubt, increased to a great extent ; but very few of 

 the fine, rugged, and far-stretching antlers, which 

 adorn the halls of many of the old houses in the 

 Highlands, are now to be met with on living deer. 

 Where not brought down by the licensed sports- 

 man, a fine-headed stag has now so high a premium 

 offered on his life in the price given for horns, 

 that he is sure to fall by the gun of some poacher 

 or shepherd. I have known as large a sum as 

 five guineas given for a stag's head : and when 

 this is the case, nothing else can be expected but 

 that every stag whose horns are peculiarly fine, 

 will be killed. I have occasionally shot roebucks, 

 and still oftener does, showing by their size, 

 colour, length of hoofs, etc., that they had reached 

 a tolerable old age : but, like all persecuted 

 animals, the chance of their attaining their full 

 extent of days is so slight as scarcely to give us 

 the means of ascertaining how long they would 

 live if secure from danger. 



Sheep after seven or eight years lose their teeth, 

 more or less, and show symptoms of their best 

 days being past. But these, like all other domes- 

 ticated animals, do not afford a good criterion to 

 judge by, as they are all under an artificial 

 system as to food and manner of living, which 



